Panama City, FL : Woman dead and two children injured after being hit by a car near Panama City on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

A Panama City man was arrested Thursday morning in connection with the Wednesday-night hit-and-run death of a 33-year-old woman, according to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol. The woman's two children were seriously injured in the incident.

Patrick Andrew Henninger, 28, was charged in the death of Jennifer Whitehead, 33, of Panama City.

Whitehead and her two small children, ages unknown, were walking south on the grassy west shoulder of U.S. 231 about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday when a southbound vehicle, originally identified by witnesses as a Ford pickup, left the road and hit the three pedestrians. Witnesses say the truck was drifting back and forth in the lane before exiting onto the west shoulder. The dark pickup then fled the scene, leaving the victims in a ditch.

Jennifer Whitehead was pronounced dead at the scene, and the two children were transported to Bay Medical Hospital in serious condition.

Investigators processed the scene and developed leads that took them to the vehicle involved in the crash — a 1993 Chevrolet 1500 pickup. At 5:40 a.m. Thursday, investigators located Henninger at a Copenhagen Drive address and charged him with leaving the scene with death. Additional charges are pending and will follow as the investigation continues.

Source :
Mom killed, 2 children hurt in Panama City hit-and-run